“And I looked, and lo a Lamb stood on Mount Zion and with Him an hundred and forty and four thousand having His Father’s name written in their foreheads,” Rev. 14:1-5. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.”

Again, the record says, “At that time David began the custom of USING CHOIRS IN THE TABERNACLE TO SING THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD. Asaph was the director of this choral group of Priests,” 1Chron. 16:2+ TLB.

So considering the fact that songs were meant to inaugurate a new season, can we not see that this new song of the 144,000 that we are about to consider proclaims, in truth, the overcoming and victory of God’s people over the power of the enemy, as we are brought back to our home in Zion and the enthronement of King Jesus, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world?

People of God, this is the reality of this new song which is informed by our victory and our eventual rest in Christ (on a daily basis) as the spirit of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah unfolds to put under feet all opposing spirits (within us) against the will of the Father for us. And so we find that the ‘harpers’ are many, forming an orchestra to the glory of God as we all join hands, spirit, soul and body to exalt the name of our glorified king in praises. Hallelujah!

‘A NEW SONG’ BEFORE THE THRONE

So what is this New Song all about? First of all, if we look at Rev. 15:1-2, we are told that,

“…all them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stood on ‘the sea of glass,’

[This ‘sea of glass’ depicts, evidently, the tabernacle laver (Exodus 30:18-21; 27:3) of the OT, or more directly to the sea in Solomon’s Temple (1Kings 7:23-37); both of which were being used for washing by the priests. However as it can be seen in this new order, it speaks of a fixed state of holiness, both inward and outward. And since it is “before the throne,” it simply means it is the purity that is in keeping with the holy character of the throne of God itself to which we have been called.]

having the harps of God, and they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the lamb…” Rev. 15:2-3.

So what is the difference between these two songs?

(i) “The song of Moses” is the song of deliverance. It is the song composed to celebrate the triumph of Israel over Pharaoh as can be seen in Exo. 15. It is one of the most important thanksgiving Psalms in the OT. “…Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song in honour of God,” (v. 1) JB.

It starts with the recounting of the destruction of Pharaoh’s army and goes on to describe the power and care of God for His people, the wonders of the Exodus, the conquest of Canaan and the building of the temple in Jerusalem. So here we see that the overcomers of the beastly system are celebrating the justice of God in punishing the wicked persecutors.

(ii) When we want to talk of “the song of the lamb,” we are then talking of the song of REDEMPTION, which is the NEW SONG. The new song celebrates the new deliverance of God’s people and of the new order introduced by the Lamb that was slain. Therefore, when we look at Rev. 5 we are told of the Lamb that was slain standing upright in the midst of the throne with the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders, each one of them holding a harp and a golden bowl full of incense made of the prayers of the saints.

“And (now) they sing a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to break the seals that are on it, for you were slain (sacrificed) and with your blood, you purchased men unto God from every tribe and language and people and nation,” (Ps. 33:3). “And you have made them a kingdom (royal race) and priests to our God, and they shall reign (as kings) over the earth!” (Exo. 19:6; Isa. 61:6), Rev. 5:8-10 AMP.

So you find that this New Song is a song of “the redeemed from the earth,” (Rev.14:3b). The earth here is speaking of the ‘world’ of the gospel of John. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah because He was able to overcome death, so that He who was slain is ‘now standing up.’

“The Lamb … slain” is directly connected to the sacrificial death of Christ by which God’s eternal purposes contained in the scroll are accomplished (Isa. 53:7; John 1:29, 36). In other words, He was qualified to open the contents of the will of God sealed before His appearance; “…lo, I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will O God…” Heb. 10:5-7.

Therefore, when the cry of the angel came “…who is worthy to open the book (containing the secret will of God) and to loose the seal therefore (so that the inheritors can find and enter into their processions)? And no man in heaven or in earth, neither under the earth was able to open the book, ‘neither to look therein. And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me. Weep not; behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof…” Rev. 5:2+.

Therefore, prophetically, the Psalmist now said, “…Sing unto Him a New Song” (Ps. 33:3); or “Sing a New song in His honour, play with all your skill as you acclaim Him,” JB.

Prophet Isaiah in adding his voice to this said, “Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare before they spring forth I tell you of them, therefore, Sing unto the Lord a New Song and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the earth; ye that go down to the sea; and all that is therein the Isles, and the inhabitants thereof,” (Isa. 42:9-10).

Why? Because “…behold I do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert,” (Isa. 43:19) speaking of our restoration to glory from our previous dry conditions as in Adam.

I herein quote a few passages from the book, “THE TREASURY OF DAVID,” Volume II, an exposition of the Psalms by Charles H. Spurgeon on the issue of “The NEW SONG:”

“Praise ye the Lord sing unto the Lord a new song” Ps. 149:1. “The old man hath all old song, the new man a new song. The Old Testament is an old song, the New Testament is a new song …Whoso loveth earthly things singeth an old song; let him that desireth to sing a new song love the things of eternity…, for this Psalm is a Song of renovation. .. If Israel when restored and renewed has new cause for rejoicing, much more should the New covenant Israel feel constrained to strike the new note of triumph.”

To be continued…